Do Away with BPA

Despite its negative health effects, BPA is still found in too many of the common items we come in contact with. Here we offer some simple shifts for reducing your exposure.

Unless you’ve been living out on the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” you’ve likely heard of bisphenol-A (BPA), a carbon-based synthetic compound used to make various plastics and epoxy resins. BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which means it can act like a hormone in the body, and has been linked to a variety of health concerns involving thyroid function, neurological development and behavior, reproduction, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and heart disease. The good news is there are many things you can do to reduce your exposure to BPA — and that once you do, the levels in your body decrease quickly. In an upcoming Experience Life article, Margret Aldrich reports on a recent study that found when participants followed a BPA-free protocol, their levels plummeted by 66 percent in only 72 hours.

MightyNest.com offers a wide selection of BPA-free goods, including these baby bottles.

To help increase your BPA awareness, here’s a list* of some surprising places you’ll find BPA, along with a few shifts you can make to avoid it:

Can the canned goods, such as canned foods, soda, and beer. (Even organic canned foods may contain BPA so choose brands that indicate they use BPA-free containers).

Take care when canning your home-grown harvest as some canning jar lids and rings may contain BPA in the lining.

Avoid type 3 and 7 plastics (look for the recycling symbol on plastic items). These include many baby bottles, sippy cups, store-bought bottled water, and many office-delivered water cooler bottles.

Switch from plastic to glass food-storage containers. Glass is safer for microwaving as well.

Switch from drinking bottled water to filtered tap water.

Transport your own filtered water in stainless steel, silicone, glass, or bamboo water bottles. (Check out these “Water Bottles We Love”).

Ask retailers to “cash in” their register receipts to protect the safety of their customers and workers by switching to BPA-free or electronic receipts (from companies like SquareUp).

Before you say “ahhh” at the dentist, ask if they use BPA-free dental sealants; if they do, consider switching to a holistic dentist.

Avoid beer and wine that have been fermented in BPA-resin-lined vats. Contact your favorite brand directly to ask about their fermentation process.

Ditch the to-go and carry-out containers from your favorite restaurant or pizza shop. Many styrofoam containers and pizza boxes, including those made of recycled cardboard, contain BPA.

Avoid using plastic and paper cups like those often found in cafeterias and restaurants: The inside lining often contains BPA. If you have a choice, ask for glass, a ceramic mug, or bring your own reusable drink container and fill it up instead.

Check the plastic toys you give your children: If you see a #7 on a toy, it contains BPA.

Watch for more tips on reducing your exposure to BPAs in our September 2014 issue, including tips for brewing a smarter cup of coffee. Looking to do more to reduce your exposure? Contact your legislators, the FDA, and the EPA, and ask them to join other countries in banning the use of BPA and BPA replacements. *NOTE: This is by no means a comprehensive list of BPA-containing items. If you’re unsure about whether an item you’re using contains BPA, we recommend contacting the producer and doing additional research.

Heidi Wachter Heidi Wachter is the community engagement specialist for Experience Life. Margret Aldrich also contributed to this article.

One comment on “Do Away with BPA”

Over the past few years, I’ve done a lot of research on this subject for my customers and family benefit. Just because a baby bottle with a #7 on it was tested after microwaving formula and showing high levels of BPA in it…the news stations rolled with it….taking away anything with a #7 on it! Ridiculous!

The # on the bottom of the plastic water container specifies the HARDNESS of the plastic, not whether or not the bottle maker puts BPA in their plastic.

#7 is ideal for carrying around because it doesn’t break or crack easily. It’s really hard to find #7 bottles because so many people have heard that #7 is bad. Retailers have removed anything with #7, regardless of having BPA in the plastic or not!

If the container has a green BPA FREE label on it, it should be safe!

Chances are good if the bottle is flexible, it’s releasing “something”in your water.
Triton bottles are no good…they replaced BPA with another chemical and label
the bottles BPA free. I have never seen a Milk or Orange juice “opaque” container that shows BPA Free! Let’s get back to glass please.!

Glass or stainless steel is ideal…and so is BBA FREE Blue #7 Polycarbonate Plastic water containers! Best to replace every few years…even regular plastic will degrade.